Ladies, how did your symptoms start?

[ivoryrain]

I read somewhere that frequent, recurrent UTIs, yeast, and bacterial infections may be a sign of H. Now that I think of it, I had recurrent yeast and bacterial infections every couple of months starting a few months after I became sexually active. I just assumed that it was due to my NuvaRing causing extra discharge (sorry if that's TMI lol) and antibiotics due to getting sick more often when I moved into a dorm. Now I wonder if maybe those recurrent infections were actually my body responding to whenever I was initially infected with H until H finally won and caused my first OB. However, I had also contracted chlamydia, so that may have been a contributor to my recurring infections.

 

So, lovely ladies of the forum, how did your symptoms start (if you had any prior to the initial OB)? Is what I experienced a common thing?

[WCSDancer2010]

@ivoryrain

 

First - NOTHING is TMI here... it's the only way we can get answers to these questions. So stop letting our Puritanical Forefathers into your head .. (because THEY are the reason we feel we "shouldn't" talk about these very normal and natural things ;)

 

All that you said *could* have been Herpes. And id *could* have been a result of the antibiotics, the chlamydia, etc. And the chlamydia/BV/Yeast/etc could have weakened the skin to a point that it let the virus in.

 

In the end, obsessing about where it came from isn't really going to change anything.... is it?

 

(((HUGS)))

[JessikaRabbit89]

Yep, my symptoms started that way. A few days after I had sex, I thought I was getting a yeast infection because I had a deep internal itch. So I started drinking Kefir and the symptoms cleared up the same day. After I had sex again the following week, the itch returned. So I started using Monistat and thought that would help. Soon after, I felt sore and swollen inside, like you would after having sex, but this was many days later. Then, when I would urinate I noticed a discharge that I had never seen with prior yeast infections. Also during this time, I had an open sore near my vagina that was taking forever to heal and was painful to wipe. What made me get treatment was I had a fever, chills, intense tingling in my vagina, thighs and butt, swollen lymph nodes in my groin, and a watery blister that broke down to a painful ulcer on my inner labia. I went to the doctor and they confirm my cervix had lesions and that I had HSV2. Now I KNOW the difference because with a yeast infection, I typically have a fresh bread dough-like smell with the discharge and its white and clumpy. The discharge I had with Herpes was runny with a yellow tint to it and a bit of blood in it.

[m82a1rifle]

I had recurrent UTI's to the point where the walgreens clinic told me I couldn't get antibiotics from them anymore and to go to the doctor instead. Then a few months later I got swollen glands that were so painful I couldn't sit, which led me to the doctor BCi thought it was ovarian cysts... haha I feel so stupid to think that now. She asked about other symptoms and was pretty confident about her diagnosis. I was very much in denial BC I had none of the other symptoms she listed but got tested anyways.... 2 days later BAM. All of em.. I was so sick i was out of work for 3 days. I didn't need test results at that point anymore to know .

[MMissouri]

I never had the flu like symptoms or UTIs. Mine started as a soreness, but I thought that was because we were pretty active (3+ times a day) and I ignored it. Sex started really becoming uncomfortable, then I noticed bumps, and around that same time my lymph nodes in my groin became huge. I was in so much pain I went to the ER thinking something was seriously wrong.

 

Funny thing though, they had an STD chart on the wall and while we were going through my symptoms, I told the lady that the chart is leading me to believe I have herpes. She said OH, that thing.. just ignore it, it scares a lot of people. Well.. I was right.

[Judith]

Hi,

well I don't get flue symptom's, I just get this little itchy feeling at the beginning and this get then more and more and more. After that it start to burn on the site I will get an OB, the lymph nodes start to swell and hurt when the OB is already there... the pain in that area stay for 2-3 days. The biggest trigger is definitely my period, if I get an OB I will get it 2-4 days before my period.......my lovely hormones getting crazy :) .or sure shaving is not great idea in that time neither...well but every person have different symptom's so you will find out yourself after a while....your body will tell you.

[sleepless]

Before I was formally diagnosed I did A LOT of research on different STDs and what the symptoms could mean. I contracted TWO that's right TWO STDs! I had contracted both Chlamydia and Herpes! I first thought I had a UTI and when I went to a local urgent care doctor he informed me that I should go see my normal GYN or pay a visit to Planned Parenthood and have a more extensive test. Within the next few days I started to develop more predominant signs of herpes. Intense itching and soon after a massive amount of bumps ALL over every part of my beautiful flower. It was scary and painful!!! It itched but hurt to itch and would burn so bad while urinating I would shiver with pain. I had to use a water bottle with warm water while I was peeing to prevent urine from touching my open soars. When I went into Planned Parenthood the doctor took one look and said oh you poor thing you definitely have herpes! She felt bad because she knew how much pain I must've been in. I had all the typical symptoms, soars, swollen lymph nodes, tingling everything! She took a swab sample (came back H+ obviously), and tested me for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea and that's how I found out I had Chlamydia. I didn't have any symptoms for the Chlamydia other than dark urine and later came the discharge (when I went back to get the anti-biotics for my diagnosis). These symptoms began to develop two days after intercourse with the individual the herpes was a full on ob by day 5 and the chlamydia stated showing more obvious symptoms a week to a week-in-a-half later.

[ivoryrain]

@sleepless

 

That's exactly what mine was like, though my OB was much less severe. I did have a UTI in addition to chlamydia and H, and THEN I started my period a few days after the first sore appeared. Then the antibiotics gave me a yeast infection. I was absolutely miserable once I had all 3 infections and then my period lol. Honestly, the lingering itchiness from the healing and the yeast infection was the most uncomfortable. Most of my sores weren't close enough to my uretha to get urine in them as long as I leaned to the side just a little.

[This_sucks]

I didnt' start getting BV until I had my hysterectomy. Its a PH imbalance, so I don't know how that would be the start of H. I was diagnosed with H two months ago. Hysterectomy in 2006. I rarely get UTIs and usually only get yeast infections from antibiotics. But now, I am having back to back BV and I'm miserable.

[Cmph]

My very first outbreak started with a high fever. To start with my body showed symptomes for a typical flu. The day after i first got fever, i started to feel itching all around the vagina. At this point i already was very tender. The day after, the itching transformed into burning. Now i could feel small burning bumps everywhere. As my vaginal condition changed, my fever rose. All of a sudden all these blisters cracked, and created one giant sore which coverd more or less my entire vagina. Including the inside. The sore was bleeding and a fetid liquid started come from the vaginal opening. At this pont i couldn walk, it was way to painfull! Like nothing i have ever expirienced before. Even a broken bone couldnt compare to the intensive pain. For me itching is the most obvious sign of an OB. Usualy i will sense bumps and burning within short time. Every person is different, so take time to get to know your own body.

[This_sucks]

My first ob came on after a marathon session with a very well endowed man. I thought I was ripped and had another bout with bv. Imagine my surprise when the doctor told me I had herpes. No flu like symptoms don't know about fever as I'm entering the hot flash phase of life.